Blood in the sea
by soafangirl88
Summary: sequel to roses in the water
1. Chapter 1

Sam stepped into his brother's house. It was dark on the inside, all the shades had been drawn making the place more like a tomb.

"Mike?" he called from the front door.

"In here Sam," came his brothers weary voice from the office. Sam made his way to the back of the house and found Mike sitting at his desk.

Sam was once again shocked by the change in his brother's appearance over the last year. Mikes hair was long now with a scraggly beard to match. He was gaunt and deep dark circles had etched themselves underneath his eyes. He hadn't showered in a few days, at least he smelled like he hadn't showered. When Mike saw Sam he turned in his desk. From what Sam could see Mike had probably been sitting at the computer all night, researching. He was looking for Anna.

"Sam! Another hit in Maine! I think it could be David this time" he exclaimed. His voice was rough. With a smug smile he turned towards his desk and grabbed a cigarette. He had started smoking right after Anna had left with David. Sam sighed.

"Where is Star?" he asked. Mike turned back to him with his cigarette lit. He let out a plum of smoke and rolled his eyes.

"I don't know. Upstairs maybe? Look we need to move on this Sam!" he snapped. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Mike, I am not going on another wild goose chase! Last time we ended up in Canada following a bogus lead!" Sam shook his head at his brother.

"Mike, Star needs you! You need to get up and start putting your life back together!" Sam snapped. Mike got up and stood toe to toe with Sam.

"So I am just supposed to forget? Forget about my child! Anna needs me, I am her father! Sam, I will never let go of her and you can either help me or get the hell out of my house!" Mike shouted spraying spittle all over Sam's face. Sam wanted to flinch away from the stench of his breath. _Whens the last time he brushed his teeth? _Thought Sam but, he stood his ground.

"And what about Star? She needs you too," hissed Sam. He saw the fire in Mikes eyes die. Star had always been his weak spot.

Since the night that Anna had left Star had been more like a zombie than a human. Sam still shuddered when he thought about the night he told them that she was gone. He didn't mention that she had been turned. Only that she had willingly left town with David and that she loved them. Star had fainted and Mike had sat there in a semi trance. Since then Mike had made it his mission to find them and Star, well she had decided to stay in bed most of the time. Neither could accept that Anna was gone.

Mike sat back down in his office chair. His shoulder slumped as he exhaled another hit of his cigarette.

"Look Sam, once I find Anna and bring her home to her mother then Star will snap out of this. I need your help Sam" replied Mike. He looked so down trodden. Sam just shook his head.

"Mike, until you have solid lead, then I can't help you" he said. Without waiting for Mike to respond Sam turned to leave. He let himself out and got into his car. Before he pulled away from his brothers home he wiped a lone tear from his face. As he drove back to his comic shop he thought about his undead niece.

When Mike and his family had moved back to Santa Carla Sam had been happy. For the first time in years he would be reunited with his brother and his only niece. They had moved back from Chicago and Sam had never known what it was to be an uncle. He loved his niece. She was a spit fire like her mom and had an intelligence like her grandmother that made people want to know her. He had missed spending time with her in the last year and often wondered how she was doing. After she and her family had moved to Santa Carla Sam had given her a job in the comic book shop cleaning out the loft. Somehow she had met David in that time and discovered that he was a vampire. Why she didn't come to Sam or her parents Sam didn't know.

Anna was a vampire now. She had met David, a master vampire and fell in love with him. Sam couldnt understand how she could love someone so evil, someone who caused suffering wherever he went.

As Sam pulled into the comic book shop. The place was being run by Lila now. Sam had hired her last year when the Frog brothers had left town. She was a thin blond who had written her own comics, or trying to write them, when Sam had hired her. She liked the job and gave Sam some time off when he needed it. He walked into the store and Lila waved. She was on the phone ordering new books for next month. She cradled the phone on her shoulder.

The Frog brothers had left the business when Anna turned. They believed that Sam had turned against them when he was working with the widow Johnson, who was also a vampire herself. Sam had worked with the widow but, only to help destroy other vampire. The widow didnt hunt anymore. She had only hunted animals because she hated leaving her home. In truth Sam had become quit fond of her and was sad when she had sacrificed herself to save David. Edgar refused to speak with Sam but, sometimes he would correspond with Allen. Both brothers were traveling around the united states looking for vampires. Sam missed them.

"Hey Sam, a package came for you awhile ago. I put it in your apartment" she called before continuing her conversation on the phone. Sam waved in acknowledgment and made his way up the stairs. Lila had placed the package on the table just inside the door. Sam picked it up and sat down at his kitchen table. The apartment was small but, it worked for Sam. He threw his keys on the counter and sat down with a huff.

Today had not gone the way he had hoped. He wanted to talk some sense into his brother. If anything he felt like he had made things worse.

He looked at the package. It was about the size of a shoebox and about as heavy as one. The package was wrapped in brown heavy paper and looked like any other piece of mail. Except it didn't have a return address nor any kind of stamp. Sam carefull peeled open one end of the package and reached inside. He pulled out a rectangle box. Slowly he lifted the lid and inside found a prepaid cell phone and another envelope. Written on the front of the envelope in a fancy scrawl _you're not far off. _Sam first picked up the phone and turned it on. There was nothing exceptional about it so he placed it back in the box and pulled out the envelope. It was thick and when Sam opened it he found photographs. The photos were of Anna!

He flipped through each photo carefully. It showed her walking in the darkness with David at her side. In one picture she was obviously in New York. It was night-time in the photo but, you could clearly see time square. In another photo they were walking down a dark alley. Each photo seemed to show them in a new place but, obviously somewhere on the East coast. Sam wasnt sure how they could even be captured on film due the vampire lore, they couldn't cast a shadow or be photographed.

Sam put the pictures down and once again picked up the portable phone. He jumped when it began to ring. The screen said "unknown caller," after several rings Sam finally answered.

"Hello?" he said to the caller.

"Sam?" came Allen Frogs voice on the other end. Sam was shocked.

"Allen? What the hell man! Why didn't you call sooner to tell me you found them?" snapped Sam.

"Because they keep alluding us. Look I just wanted to let you know that we will be back in Santa Carla by the end of the month" replied Allen.

"Why?" asked Sam.

"We still own a portion of the store Sam. You can't keep us from it!" snapped Allen. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Really? Could have fooled me," he snapped. Allen was quiet for a moment. He sighed audibly on the other line.

"Sam, I wont argue with you ok man? Look Edgar and I are coming home. I don't know for how long but, we will see you in a month ok?" Allen said before hanging up. Sam threw the phone away and sat back down at the kitchen table. He shook his head and smiled slightly. He had missed both of his friends. He wondered if anything would ever be the same again?


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was down. Though we were laying in the basement of the house and I could sense its setting. I lay there in the pitch darkness for several minutes. To a human, it would be impossible to see anything in the blackness but, to us everything was as visible as if a light was illuminating the entire room. I lay there staring at the ceiling above.

I tried to control that aching in the back of my throat. That constant dry burning that I seemed to always feel and could never completely quench. It made my hands shake and my voice quiver just trying to control it. I knew that David was frustrated. We had been arguing over my _condition_ for weeks with no avail from me.

I looked over at him in the darkness and smiled slightly. It had been a year since we left Santa Carla and even though things seemed pretty rocky between us, I still loved him. I still would rather go to bed angry than go to bed without him.

As my thoughts were drawn back to my thirst, David stirred next to me.

"Hey," he said stretching next to me in the dark bed.

"Hey," I replied listless. I wasn't trying to make things worse between us, I truly wasn't, it was just that I knew if I spoke my voice would betray me and he would only get angrier. He rolled on his side facing me but, still I stared at the ceiling above and ignored him. Slowly he snaked his arm across my waist. I didn't push it away but I also didn't respond.

"Anna? You need to feed" he said. I shrugged out of his grasp and got up from the bed. He sighed heavily as I grabbed my jeans and a sweatshirt from the floor.

"Anna, how long are you going to let this go on? You're suffering?" he said, getting up from the bed as well. I didn't look at him as I began to brush my hair and he began to dress. "Anna? Anna, don't ignore me!" he snapped turning me around. He roughly grabbed ahold of my shoulders. Normally it wouldn't have bothered me but, with being hungry came aches and pains throughout the body. The slightest touch could feel like a thousand knives jabbing into my skin. I shoved him away from me.

"I already told you David! I'm not going to argue with you over this again!" I yelled. I could feel my face contorting with rage. Slowly it changed from human to vampire and back again. A year later and still I had trouble controlling it!

"You. Are. Vampire!" he shouted at me.

"And. YOU are a tool!" I snapped. I stomped past him towards the stairs. I ran up to the first floor kitchen and began making a cup of coffee. I waited for the water to fill and with shaking hands put the coffee grounds in the paper strainer. I couldn't control the shaking, I was so mad!

I cursed my clumsiness as coffee grounds spilled all over the counter and the floor. In a fit of rage and frustration I threw the coffee mugs across the room where they shattered on the cheap ceramic. For good measure, I grabbed the coffee pot and threw it across the room where it sprayed water and glass all over the walls. I slammed my hands on the marble counter top and felt it crack beneath my fingers before I sank to the ground in angry tears.

Why couldn't I control this!? When will it get easier? I pulled my legs up to my chest and sobbed. I knew it was my hunger that was causing this temper tantrum. I hadn't eaten in over a week. After what happened last time, I couldn't. For some reason taking human life bothered me more than any other part of being a vampire. David was no help at first. I knew it was because he had been a vampire for so long that it was hard for him to understand my point of view. He didn't understand why I couldn't kill a total stranger, why I couldn't just end someone's life so I could survive.

I heard the basement door open and David's footsteps make their way to the kitchen.

"Jesus Anna" he said looking over the mess I had made. I just sat there and cried silently. I didn't look up at him.

"_He is probably wishing he had never wasted his time on me. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow he just deserted me. I'm more trouble than I am worth! _" I thought, terrified that I was right. I never told David that I was worried about him leaving me.

I had no way to explain myself. He sat down next me and put an arm over my shoulder. At first I sat stiffly and then he lifted my chin so he could look in my eyes. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. I knew he wasn't angry with me, I don't know how but, there was always moments like this when I knew what he was thinking. His frustrations were mirrored to mine. Had we made the right choice? Would things have been better if I had stayed human? I leaned into him and wrapped my arm around his waist. He held me until the tears stopped.

"I'm sorry David" I said. He kissed the top of my head.

"I know you don't want to babe but, you need to feed" he said. I nodded. Gently he stood us both up. Placing both his hands on my shoulders he held me at arm's length.

"Look Anna, I've got an idea. You just need to trust me," he said before taking my hand and leading us out into the night.

We had lived in Georgia, just outside of Jacksonville near Neptune beach. We had moved slowly from New York downward. I liked the East coast. The little towns were charming and the people were used to tourists so if we didn't stay long then no one noticed. We found an abandoned house here with a big basement where we spent most of our time. Plus it had a garage where David could store his bike.

Now David led me to one of the many beach night clubs. We were familiar with the local nightlife. Many bars with sea side access opened their doors when the sun went down to the beach. People would come and enjoy a rave like party without actually having to go to a rave. They played house music with techno beats and dance remixes. Drugs were just as popular as the drinking.

Even as a human it wasn't really my scene.

I stopped short when I heard the music and saw the many strobe lights. People danced about. They were either drunk or high or both.

"David, I can't. Please don't make me" I begged, my voice shaking with panic. He squeezed my hand.

"Anna, do you trust me?" he asked gazing down at me. He had the look of desperation in his eyes. Like a man with no options left but, one. I nodded.

"Ok, wait here in the shadows. I promise I'll come back" he said kissing me quickly on the lips, then moving swiftly through the crowds of people. I didn't even get a chance to protest so I waited among the trees for him to return. I listened to the music and silently counted the beats.

When he finally made his way back he had two young girls in tow. They couldn't have been more than twenty with tan skin and beach bodies. Both wore tiny skirts and revealing clothing. It made me self conscience to see girls my age dress that way. I wore jeans and a hoodie for the most part. Even now I loved comfort. My eyes burned towards David. _What the hell are you doing!? _I screamed internally.

He chuckled at something the girls said.

"These two said they wanted to party with us" he laughed. They both smirked at me, obviously vying for Davids attention. One look at me and I am sure they believed they could tear us apart for one night at least. Jealousy almost overtook me but, I set it aside.

"Seems your girlfriend doesn't wanna share," sneered one. The other giggled at her friends jib. We were too far away for anyone to notice what was going on. David leaned in to me and whispered only loud enough for me to hear.

"We won't kill them, I promise. Just follow my lead," he said and I nodded. The two girls watched us with questioning looks.

Lightning quick he grabbed one of the girls and placed his mouth over her throat biting into her flesh. She tried to scream but, his other hand came up and covered her mouth. The second girl didn't seem to register any of this until it was too late. I felt my face transform into a vampiric mask and grabbed her by the back of the head. I sank my teeth into her neck and felt the sweetness of her warm blood coat my dry throat. Slowly her heart began to race in fear as she realized what was happening. I could see David out of the corner of my eye lowering his victim to the ground. She was alive, albeit barely. I suckled until I felt the girl's heart beat slow. For a moment I didn't care if she lived or died.

"Anna, stop!" snapped David. He snatched the girl from me and laid her down next to her friend. He kneeled down next to the girls and using his pinky finger made several scratch marks on the girls necks completely concealing the puncture marks.

"What are you doing?" I asked breathing heavily. I could already feel the fresh blood coursing through my veins. It was a wonderful and sobering sensation. "I am making sure that we don't start hearing vampire stories on the news when these two are found," he replied making the same marks on the second girl's neck. One moaned loudly then went still. I was not worried, they were both alive. With any luck they would have some illegal substances in their veins and not remember a thing. If they did there tox screenings would give any doctor a reason to doubt them.

When he was done David stood. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.

"Hi, I've got two young women here who've been attacked. Yes Neptune beach. Ok" he hung up the phone and then threw it as hard as he could towards the beach.

"Anna, we must go" he said taking my hand. He started walking away and I pulled him back to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. He responded, holding me close to him. I had given him my trust and once again he came through for me. I could taste the blood lingering on his tongue as he kissed me. I hadn't felt this good in days and it was intoxicating. I knew I didn't have to feel guilty. We did not kill innocent people tonight. No lives were lost.

We made our way down the beach hand in hand, no cares in the world. I smiled to myself when I saw the ambulance lights flashing from the beach party.


	3. Chapter 3

Michael sat at his office desk for several more minutes after Sam left. He chain smoked and wondered over the things his brother had said. _Maybe Sam is right, _he thought. _Maybe I am subjecting myself tpo a wild goose chase, one with no end. _ He shook his head. _No! She is my daughter, my blood! I wont stop searching. _He slammed his fist down on the arm of his desk chair in frustration.

As he turned back to his computer he heard a creaking noise upstairs followed by the shuffling of feet. He listened for a few moments as his wife made her way to the bathroom and shut the door. He sat as still as a statue until he heard the tell tale nise of the toilet flushing and more footsteps going back to the bedroom.

He would have to bring her something to eat soon. She would most likely pick at it and then leave it on the bedside table for him to collect later this evening.

Star was a shell of her former self. Now that he thought about it, so was he. There was a time when they could lay next to each other, not touching or speaking but, reveling in their happiness. They had a silent understanding of one another that spoke volumes, if only to them. Now, it was a wonder if they ever talked.

Michael knew she was grieving for in her eyes their daughter had died and it was Michaels fault. He remembered vividly the scene between them just before she had taken to her bed.

Michael had been sitting in the same chair he was now when she had come in the room. He had several volumes of books and many papers and articles on vampires. He had begun his research the day after Sam had broken the news to them. She crept into the room slowly and ran her fingers over the articles and papers. She had been so silent that he hadn't taken any noptic of her. In one swift movement she threw them on the ground and finally he had turned to face her. Surprise evident on his face.

"Now you decide to do something! Now?" she shrieked at him. She looked like she had lost her mind.

"You promised it was safe! You swore that nothing would happen and I believed you as I always have believed you. Like a fool I believed that everything would be okay and now my daughter, our daughter is gone!" she shouted at him and then with no warning sprang herself on his, her nails bared to attack. He greabbed her by the wrists and wrestled her to the ground where she collapsed in sobs. With nothing more to say he tried to hold her and she shoved him away.

"Don't touch me Michael! This is all your fault!" she cried before scrambling up off the floor and running to their room. With nothing more to do Michael sat there and felt his heart would break. He decided then and there he would never stop looking for Anna. Even if it meant he would have to die trying!


	4. Chapter 4

For the first time in months I was happy and content. We hadn't killed anyone and for the first time things seemed almost normal. David and I walked slowly back to the house hand in hand. It was only about three in the morning but, we wanted to be alone.

"So I think we found a good alternative" I said as our hands swung back and forth. David chuckled.

"Finally," he joked. I slapped his arm playfully.

"Oh come on! It wasnt that bad" I said. He shook his head as we moved up to the front porch of the house. Slowly he leaned down to brush his lips against mine.

"If it keeps you from destroying all of our _fine china_ then I don't care" he joked before kissing me again.

The house was a simple two-story. We didn't use the upstairs except for when we grabbed the extra bed. David had found it in the "for sale" listings in the paper. Apparently he had removed the for sale sign and the realtor. I tried not to think too much about that though. It was a decent house. The basement had some small windows that allowed a fraction of light in but, we covered it with aluminum foil. Though the house was nice to have for now, we couldn't stay here. The neighbors would eventually realize that something was fishy.

Quickly we broke apart from the kiss and David looked around us in surprise.

"What?" I said but he covered my mouth with his hand. He was listening for something. He sniffed the air and his eyes went wide, I could smell it too. Something unfamiliar. Not a vampire either but, a human. It stuck to the walls of the house and the grass where the person had walked.

"Someone's in the house!" he hissed in my ear. Before we could do anything David lost control of his limbs and collapsed in front of me, I could smell the tranquilizer getting into his system. Then before I could run or try to find the perpetrator I felt the sting of a needle and I sank into darkness.

I don't know when I finally came to or how long I was under the drugs embrace. Where was David? Did they have him as well? Had it been a day? Two? How had the drug worked in my body? Usually drugs or anything that would normally inebriate a human did nothing to us. Who was my capture?

As my eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, I realized that I was moving and I was alone. I cried out trying to move just a fraction of an inch to see if I could feel David. My hands were securely tied behind my back and my legs were tied underneath me. I used my tongue to remove the strip of duct tape that was placed over my mouth. I moved my jaw as the tape fell from my face. Wherever I was, it was dark and loud. I screamed out as I tried to pull the ropes apart to free my hands but, all I could feel was a searing pain in my wrists. I couldn't see my hands but, I could feel the ropes cutting into my wrist and drawing blood. What the hell? I hadn't bled since I became a vampire. I began screaming out in fear and anger.

"Let me the hell out of here!" I shrieked over the roar of the engine. I heard no response. Through all this my face never turned to its vampiric nature. I lay there on my side trying to think of what to do when I realized I was hungry. Not for blood but, for food? I hadn't been hungry for food in a year! Vampires can eat regular food like humans but, it does nothing for us. It doesn't get rid of hunger or keep it at bay. As if to confirm my hunger my stomach grumbled for the first time in forever.

"David?" I whispered. Though I knew he wasnt in this small space with me I was shaking in fear. Even though it hadn't yet been confirmed by my captors I knew the truth. It was impossible and I had never heard of anyone being reverted but, somehow without a doubt, I was human again.

* * *

><p>They drove into the night, passing through the south states and barely talking. For awhile they could hear Anna in the back of the trunk screaming. To be honest Allen had been surprised how easy it was to subdue both her and David. He was shocked when Edgars connections had said they had a cure for vampirism but, they needed a test subject. Allen had been skeptical but, he was willing to try. Sam needed his niece back and Allen was determined to mend the bridge between Edgar and him.<p>

Edgar was still angry with Sam for conspiring with the widow. Of the two brothers Edgar was a known hot head and Allen was prone to think things through. In a way Allen could understand why Sam had worked with the widow Johnson. She wasnt really a threat to anyone and she had sacrificed herself meaning she didn't want to be a vampire anymore. But Allen and Edgar had always been honest with Sam. To be a succesful team they had to trust one another.

In a year they had seen almost all the continental united states. They had traveled searching for vampires and other hunters. Coming across Anna and David had been a complete accident, one that had caught both brothers by complete surprise. While they were in Everstaff Maine several months ago they visited a commune of vampire hunters. They had only been in town for a week when they received word from a friend that two vampires had been spotted in the Everstaff town square. This was unusual because the commune had taken careful measures to keep the vampire scum out. When Edgar and Allen showed up to a local bar where the two had been spotted, they were stopped short. Anna stood less than six yards from them.

To Allen she was beautiful but, he knew it was the vampire disease that made her seem so. He had to hold Edgar back from killing both her and David when they exited the bar. After that it seemed he and Allen where never far from Anna and her vampire boyfriend. In washington D.C they discovered the Covenant. It was a group of scientist and professors who had come together to fight the vampire epidemic. They had created special weapons, ammunition and censors to detect the vampires. It was their that Allen and Edgar were introduced to a special kind of film that could capture vampires. Plus the tranquilizer that Edgar used to incapacitate David and Anna.

Allen couldn't believe it when the President of the Covenant had introduced them to a possible cure. Edgar couldn't believe such a thing existed. They had been hunting vampires for years and not once had ever heard of a cure.

The truck moved over the dark road as Allen turned to his brother.

"The sun will be up soon. We better find a place to...you know, test the cure" said Allen. Edgar grunted without looking at him. It was almost five a.m. The sun would be rising soon. They had driven from Jacksonville two days before and had barely made it into California. They drove non stop and slept in shifts. Anna had woken allen up a few hours ago with her screaming but, once again she had calmed down and was quiet.

Theyre was no guarantee that this cure would work. Allen knew that if it didn't then Anna would surely die once she was exposed to sun. That's why he couldn't tell Sam what they were going to do. If Anna died, vampire or not, Sam would never forgive them.

Allen thought of David. They had tied him to a tree and left him. The serum in his system would have lasted until the sun rose. By now David would be a pile of ashes.

They passed a sign for a crappy motel.

"Pull in there. We will get a room and test the cure" said Allen. In a half hour they were pulling into the motel and paying for a room. Allen looked into the horizon and saw the first rays on sun spilling over the California land.

They had rented a moving truck to keep suspicions at an all time low. After they subdued Anna and gave her the cure they put her in a wooden box and placed her in the truck. She had been bound and gagged but, Allen figured she had gotten rid of the gag by the way she had screamed. Edgar grabbed the bags while Allen moved to back of the truck.

"If this doesn't work have your crossbow ready. There is no reason for her to suffer" said Edgar as he unlocked the padlock on the truck and swung the lid open. Allen heard a moan from inside the box. He took a crowbar and broke open the lid.

"Edgar?" croaked Anna in disbelief as she gazed up at her kidnapper. After she took a few staggering breathes she began screaming again. Edgar grabbed her by the wrists at her back causing her to cry out in pain. She had been so stiff laying there for two whole days.

"Now, be quiet!" he shouted jerking her wrists once again. Anna shut her mouth quickly with a wince. Allen held his arms out to help Anna down from the truck. He smiled weakly at her and she glared daggers into his face. The sky was pink now as the sun came up over the horizon. Anna turned her head towards it and yelled once more in fear. She tried to hobble away from Edgar but, he had in her in a vise like grip. She closed her eyes waiting for the pain to start. After several staggering breathes, nothing happened. Tears slid down her face as she opened her eyes and stared at the sun.

"It worked!" cried Allen clapping Edgar on the back. Anna just stared at the sun in utter horror. _No! _Anna fell into Edgar in a dead faint.

* * *

><p>I woke up on an uncomfortable bed.I opened my eyes slowly and surveyed the room. Yup, I was in a cheap motel. It was dark and gloomy inside the room. <em>Had I slept the day through?<em> Allen sat across from me. I blinked several times before sitting up and putting my legs over the bed. Allen watched my every move but, he seemed wary. My legs and arms wer unbound. I rubbed my wrists where the ropes had cut into them.

"How do you feel?" asked Allen. He took a plastic glass from the bedside table and filled it with water. He leaned over and handed it to me. I took it willingly. My throat felt like I had smoked a pack a day. I sipped at the water at first, praying silently that it would do nothing for me. It soothed my throat and made me feel more alert.

"I'm fine" I snapped. "Considering I was kidnapped!"

"You had to be human to be kidnapped," chuckled Edgar. I could see him sitting across the room with a crossbow in hand. I had never really liked Edgar. He was obnoxious and over-confident. Now he sat there watching me with smug eyes and all I wanted to do was rip them out of his head. I ignored his comment.

"Where is David?" I asked turning back to Allen.

"You know your human now right Anna?" asked Allen in a calm voice.

"Yes. How?" I snapped. I wished more than ever to be vampire so I could rip both of their throats out! Allen smiled and shook his head.

"Unfortunately we can't tell you that information" he replied.

"Considering you have a thing for vampires, it wouldn't be good for you to be telling them our secrets" sneered Edgar. I ignored him and took one more big gulp of water emptying the glass.

"Where is David?" I asked again. Allen stood up and walked over to the curtains. He pulled one back and stared out into the night.

"Tomorrow we will be back in Santa Carla. I am sure your parents and Sam will be happy to see you." I blinked several times. My parents? I hadn't thought of them in a long time. When you're a vampire time moves much quicker than normal making your old life harder to concentrate on. Were they ok? Had they been searching for me? _Why wasnt Allen answering my question my question about ? Why couldn't he just tell me where David was? _

"Allen!" I practically shouted at him. He turned to me, his eyes were wide and sad. "Please? Where is he?" I begged though I sensed the answer from the sympathetic look Allen was giving me. Tears pricked my eyes as he opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Edgar.

"Your boyfriend is probably ashes in the wind by now," laughed Edgar. I shook my head in disbelief. Edgar wouldnt let it go. "And good riddance to him!" he chuckled. It was too much. I jumped up from the bed and lunged myself at him.

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" I shouted at I began striking blows at him left and right. He put his hands up to shield his face and Allen grabbed me from behind. He pulled me away from Edgar but, I fought him until I had no more energy to fight. Allen held me there on the bed as I sobbed. The only person who I had loved was gone. He would never hold me again or kiss away my frustrations. He would never tell me how much he loved me. I cried for what I knew was gone forever. Though now I was no longer _undead _I felt then that I would never truly feel alive again.


	5. Chapter 5

3 months later

I was a prisoner. There was no other way to describe it. I sat in my room and watched the sun sink over the ocean. Another day passed, another day alone and another day without David. I didn't cry now. I had taught myself only to cry when I was about to go to sleep, that way my mom wouldn't hear me and try to make me feel better.

My parents had no clue that I had been turned. Uncle Sam had made it clear that he hadn't told them and that it would better if I didn't mention it.

"You mean better for you?" I snapped. We were sitting at his kitchen table in his apartment. The Frog brothers had brought me there first. They felt it would be easier if Sam took me home to my parents.

"Anna, do you know what your parents have been through?" asked Sam. He looked like he was frustrated but, he spoke very calmly. Like I was a runaway teenager and not an adult.

"Your mother refuses to get out of bed and your father has been obcsest with finding you! You left without any warning. Do you realize what that has done to them?" he was calm but, I could hear the tiny edge in his voice. I nodded. What else could I say? He would never understand how I felt about David or why I was so heartbroken. To him David was a senseless monster but, I loved him. To me he was a lifeline. Before I met him I hadn't really lived, hadn't experienced anything outside of my comfort zone. Being without him was like dyeing all over again.

When Sam took me back to my house I was shocked at my father's appearance. He hadn't shaved in god knew how long. In the span of a year he seemed to have aged ten. Sam watched me walk into the house from his car. I tentatively walked into the darkened house, not sure what I was going to find. The place smelled. Everything was either covered in papers or dust and all the shades were drawn. As I stepped over the threshold I could hear the printer in my dad's office whirring away.

I followed the noise and found my father at his computer. The room was filled with smoke and wreaked of cigarettes. I crinkled my nose at the aroma as I surveyed the mess. Papers and books littered every inch of the room. The waste basket was over flowing with food and other debris. The printer stopped and my dad got up to grab the stack of papers. When he sat down again he turned slightly in his chair and did a double take when he saw me. I didn't know what to say so we stood in silence. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"Anna? Are you real?" he asked, his voice choking up. Before I could respond he got up and in two bounds had me wrapped in a tight hug. At first I kept my hands to my side but, then I realized that though I was hurt, I had missed my family. My dad began to cry into my shoulder. I had never seen him cry before. Not even when my grandmother passed away.

"I thought we'd lost you forever!" he sobbed kissing my head. "Are you ok? How did you get back?" he asked pulling away slightly. That's when my tears began to flow.

"David's dead" I cried. He smiled slightly and I wanted to shove him away but, before I could he hugged me close again.

"Come on! We need to go tell your mother" he said half crying half laughing. I nodded as he led me upstairs to her room.

I don't know what I expected when my father and I climbed the stairs to my parents bedroom but, when he opened the door and she saw me for the first time in a year, the shock of how bad she looked must have been clear. She was laying in the bed she and my father shared. When the door opened she was laying on her side facing their closet. The room smelled musty and all the shades were drawn, just like the rest of the house. My mother looked like she was dead and at first I thought maybe she was. Her once beautiful skin was pale and lifeless. Her hair lay in mats and snarls on top of her head. She was rail thin with heavy circles under her eyes.

"Star?" my Dad called. He went to the side of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Honey, Anna is home!" he announced. She just lay there not saying anything.

"Please baby" my Dad begged shaking her shoulder. She blinked once at him.

"Dad, is she ok?" I asked quietly. My mother blinked again more rapidly and slowly turned her head towards me. It was like watching someone wake up from a long sleep. Like maybe before she hadn't ever really seen my Dad until that very moment.

"Anna?" she whispered when our eyes locked. I nodded and ran to her. She wrapped her arms around me and we both sobbed, my father just smiled.

I knew they were in heaven knowing I was safe and home. That is not lost on me but, the cost I had to pay to make them happy was far too high. It took a week for my mom and dad to start resembling their old selves. My mother began airing out the house and cleaning it from top to bottom and my dad threw away all his research on vampires. Plus, they both started showering regularly which made the aroma around them much easier to bear.

At first they bombarded me with questions. _Where had I gone? Why had I left? Was I sure that David was dead? _It was enough to drive me completely insane. However, Sam came to my rescue.

"Guys, if she wants to tell you, she will. Give it a rest" he had said. My mom had crossed her arms over her chest. She had the _She is my daughter not yours look on her face._

"We have every right to know where she has been!" she snapped at him hotly.

"I understand Star but, you can't force her to tell you. To be honest she is an adult and can make her own choices. If you keep pushing her then you're gonna push her right out the door," he reasoned. My parents relented and didn't ask me about what happened. They also didn't let me out of their sight. I was shocked when they didn't demand to follow me into the bathroom at night to take a shower! Though I did notice that they removed all sharp objects.

I stayed silent for the most part. I listened to music or sat in my room. I can't explain it but, my grief made time nonexistent.

I sat on my chair next to my window around noon. I had been thinking about my last night with David and how happy we had been. Then when I looked up towards the horizon, the sun was setting.

I woke up, I showered, I ate and I slept but, I wasn't there. I felt like I was watching everything happen around me. I wouldn't talk to my uncle.

Whenever he showed up to the house, I locked myself in my room. I felt like he was gloating whenever he was around. His mere presence made me wish I was still a vampire. It was the same with the Frog brothers. They didn't come to the house at all but, having them within a five mile radius irked me beyond belief. They had killed David and brought me home to what? A lifeless existence and unhappiness.

I don't know when I decided to leave. My dad and I had been taking long walks on the beach together at sunset. Mostly he would talk and I listened. I didn't really have anything to say. Nothing to add to the conversation and I think he sensed that I preferred to stay silent.

"You're so different" he remarked one night as we passed the bluffs and made it back to the house. I was so surprised by his statement though I knew I shouldn't be.

"Hmm?"

He just looked at me sadly.

"I don't know what happened to you Anna, but I know you are hurting" he explained.

"You seem a lot different too" I replied quietly. My dad chuckled.

"You know David almost turned me and your mother?" he said. I nodded. We stopped outside the house. My Dad sat in one of the lawn chairs and gestured for me to sit next to him. He never spoke about the time of his transition and David had only given me the barest of details. I think he was ashamed of the vampire he had been.

"When your mother and I were completely human again, we had the same look and, I don't know, tension that you have now. Like we couldn't fit in the world of the light once we saw the intoxicating world of the dark," he said. I stared at my shoes. I didn't want to give anything away.

"I don't know what happened when you were gone Anna. I wish I was brave enough to ask but, someday it will get better. It just takes some adjustment," he patted my hand. My mom was soon calling for us to come in for dinner and our conversation was abandoned.

I realized that I wouldn't ever feel normal being here. My days in California were numbered. At least this time I would be able to say goodbye to my parents. Having a plan gave me hope, it gave me some kind of purpose. I didn't think it would be forever but, I needed to get away from the reminders of my old life and my old love.


End file.
